Hi all, I've just got back from two weeks in sunny Turkey. I had a bit of an accident playing beach volleyball last Wednesday which ended up a total nightmare. As I ran and stretched for the ball I almost done the splits in the sand at the same time as leaning forward to hit the ball something high up in my right leg went twang. I was in complete agony and was whisked off to hospital. I got an MRI scan almost immedietly. The doc came in and told me the bad news. I had ruptured my hamstring. All 3 muscle groups had become detatched from the pelvis and I had badly damaged another set of muscles (I don't do things by half!). This meant I went straight to surgery for an hour long op to re-attatch the muscles. They gave me an epidural so I was concious through the whole thing. The op went well and I had then 3 days in hospital before being returned to the hotel for the last two days of my hol. (ever been in an all inclusive hotel with no appetite and drinking only water?) Anyway the lovely people at Direct Line [**insurance**](http://some774744.com/links.php?q=insurance&i=13964&s=2) told me I couldnt fly without having 3 seats together (they only had two seats together on our flight) and they asked me to hold off another 3 days, [**travel**](http://some774744.com/links.php?q=travel&i=13964&s=2) for 9 or 10 hours to Dalaman Airport by bus as there were seats available on a flight there....on my own without my wife & daughter!!!.... no chance. I agreed to having two seats which I got, but the seat I got was the only one on the flight where the arm rest is fixed! The after effects of the epidural meant that when I tried to sit up right my neck and shoulders went into painful spasms....that flight took almost five hours! Anyway we got home on Mon am. Now it looks like I'm going to have this leg brace on for the next month and hillwalking and no doubt photography is suspended indefinately...well till next year hopefully. I'll no doubt loose my job too. All fun and games eh? I cant spend long at the computer either, I'm OK lying down and can stand for short periods with crutches, but you try sitting down with 12 stiches in you butt! It certainly puts thing into perspective seeing things from a wheelchair point of view, suddenly everything has become an effort and simple things are either undo-able or very painful and exausting. On the other hand I will get better, and being married to a brilliant ICU nurse is sooooo good! So I doubt I'll be posting much in the next few weeks, but "I'LL BE BACK" Has anyone else had this kind of injury before I wonder?  Thanks for listening to my grumbles! Regards Anthony

Ouch!  I hope you are better soon!

Owww!  That really stinks.  I sure you heal up soon and are able to get around.  Take care!

As soon as i saw the title to this thread i thought OUCH!! I just wasn't expecting that kinda ouch. I hope you get well soon.

Sorry to hear this Anthony. I have never heard of that injury before, you don't do things by halfs do you. 

Get well soon

Get well soon, man!
There are always those nasty people trying to tell ya to see it from the psoitive side...mmm...easy when you're not in the situation, no?
Yet: it could have been worse if this had happened somewhere on one of your climbs.
A friend of mine, seasoned mountaineer was teaching  and when he got, as last man, up to the top of the (as good as) vertical rock , he saw a pin that was badly attached. The moment he wanted to say something about it, the pin came loose and he fell some 60meters (yes: 60!). A tree broke his fall, but he woke up in hospital with his foot nearly off and several broken bones and ribs.
Took a year to learn to walk again. As he's a blacksmith by profession, I told him the story of Hephaistos, the Greek God of blacksmiths who was thrown out of heaven and whobecause he was limping, had to rely more on his arms to perform his job. So my friend started to do bodybuilding for his arms and torso and now, some years later, he's back in the alps. "The limping mountaineer" he calls himself. But jis stronger arms make up for his weaker legs.

moral of this story: even mythology can have practical purposes.

Lots of time to think for you now. Don't go brooding: wine quickly becomes vinegar, and negativity will only make things worse. You'll get through this, and you'll come out better than you got in.
Wish I could say more...

Man this so sucks Anthony! For such an avid hiker as yourself this injury is devastating....and you certainly did a good job of hurting yourself~ Ahh well, these things happen...take it easy them mountain peaks ain't going anywhere....take care buddy! Aloha~

oooch...get well soon I like to see some more hiking shot from you. But seriously, just be better soon pls.

seeya  Tunde

Hang in there and heal..no choice really..but with a good outlook and some happiness..fair enough?

Hi, Anthony.

I'm sorry to hear about your impossible 'snap', but you are in good hands. Your flight puts my 9 and 1/2 hours by coach from Scarborough to Glasgow ( via Durham, Jedburgh, Edinburgh, Dunfermline, Falkirk, Hamilton and East KIlbride ) into perspective too. With my condition it was a wee bit of Purgatory, but at least I can now get out and about, and know that I am improving.

Hopefully you'll have your physiotherapy at Hairmyres, or somewhere close. Remember the mouthshield to bite into. Physios are all unfeeling, obscenely fit individuals!  Only kidding ;o), it's just that they seem to enjoy inflicting pain on folk so much..

Get well soon, and be assured that some prayers are arising, my friend. Take your time., and I am sure that you can now imbibe more than Adam's ale... ;o)

Warm regards, John.

Well I'm real sorry about injury and hope you have a quick recovery. I've been on the mend myself, with a bad foot, I can't hike much either..... I have to stick to the short trails with "benches" along the way!!! LOL ;P